


We Are Not Legends (but damned if we're not going to be)

by pocketTherapist



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, Fantasy/medieval setting, Is it kidnapping if it's consensual?, Kitsunegeddon 2019, Original work - Freeform, kitsune lore, not-exactly-a-damsel in distress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 04:40:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20754479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pocketTherapist/pseuds/pocketTherapist
Summary: Look, it wasn't her fault she'd accidentally kidnapped a prince.





	We Are Not Legends (but damned if we're not going to be)

Kira's mother used to despair of her daughter's ever reaching her second tail. She was too reckless, too brilliant, too arrogant, even for a kitsune. 

Kits have a long history of being far too curious for their own good, anyway. 

How on earth that's all conspired to get her into _ this _ situation, though, Kira has no idea. 

"Why are you being hunted, I thought humans don't  _ get _ hunted!"

She presses the youth she's concealing further into the tiny crevice and hopes like hell her illusion will hold the both of them. The hunters have  _ dogs,  _ she  _ hates  _ dogs, they're a fox's natural enemy--they're both gonna die, oh gods  _ why did she think this was a good idea.  _

He doesn't respond to her panicked whisper, but that might be because she has her hand clamped firmly over his mouth. His face is too pale, even for a human, and he's shaking so hard she can feel the vibration, where her body holds his in place. 

It doesn't matter. She's trembling, too, every instinct telling her to  _ run _ , get to safety and leave the boy to his fate. 

Kira never was good at listening to her instincts. 

After an eternity, the sounds of the dogs fade, and Kira thinks it's reasonably safe enough to risk moving. She promptly releases the boy and collapses on her backside, panting in a combination of triumph and terror. 

She had _ so  _ better earn another tail for this. 

The youth is crouching, making himself eye level, and studying her with intense curiosity. 

"Why did you help me? You-- they were going to-- they'd have killed you, too!"

Kira shrugs. 

"I know. But you looked interesting, so I was curious, and then they were going to kill you, so I stole you."

" _ Stole _ me?"

"Well, they clearly didn't want you anymore! So you can be mine now."

The boy--man? She was awful at judging ages, but he was taller than she was, so he had to be _ somewhere _ near adulthood--stared at her for a long moment before putting his hand over his eyes, laughing a little, although she didn't understand what exactly was so funny. 

"You don't even know who I am, do you?"

"... no?"

He laughs again, incredulous.

"Nevermind. We should get out of here before my uncle’s men come back.”

Kira stops for a second. 

"Are you telling me that _ your kin  _ just tried to have you killed?" she screeches, and this time it's his turn to hurriedly press his hand over her mouth. 

She considers biting him for about half a second, but Kira has a very firm policy on not kicking someone while they're down. She's a creature of trickery, but that doesn't mean she's got to be _ cruel _ about it. She prefers humbling the prideful, anyway, and the nervous youth before her is about as far from arrogant as anyone she's ever met. 

Prying his hand away, she gets a firm hold on his wrist and starts off again. She's not big enough to carry him yet, even with her magic helping her. He comes easily, bewildered but obedient, and this pleases her, that her new person knows his place and trusts her to care for him. 

She's never claimed a person before. There's no _ way _ she can afford to screw this up.

Her ears are twitching with nerves, but her glamour holds, so he can't see it anyway. Good. She's gotta be strong and confident, like in all the stories. 

That said, Kira _ really _ doesn't like the idea of hunters and their dogs coming after them. She needs to cross a river, a big one, and preferably before they start backtracking to figure out where they lost the scent. 

She picks her way through the animal trails, moving as quickly as her new charge can keep up with, heading downhill following her animal instincts. Sure enough, there's a river there, wide and deceptively still. He balks for the first time as she leads him steadily toward the banks, a note of hesitancy creeping into his voice.

“I…Please, Lady, I cannot swim.”

She pauses, scrutinizing him, and he shifts uncomfortably. The river’s too deep to cross without at least some swimming.

“Does your uncle know you can’t swim?”

He nods, confused. 

“Yes. Why does that matter?”

Kira grins at him, all sharp mischief.    
  


“Because it means he’d never expect you to cross! Here, I can swim us both across, but you’re going to have to trust me.”

He barely hesitates. 

“I trust you.”

Warmed by a sensation she can’t name, Kira crouches. 

“Okay, we’re going to wade in to our waists, and then you put your arms around my neck, and I’ll carry you.”

He swallows, but gives her a brave little smile anyway. They step into the river together, braced against the current, and she puts a hand on his arm to steady him against the smooth rocks. They pick their way upstream a while, and then she leads him further into the river. He lifts his chin and meets her eyes, giving her a firm nod.

She keeps her stroke as smooth as she can manage, with his weight pressing her down, an easy breaststroke that keeps both their heads well above water. After a bit, he seems to catch on, and mostly allows himself to float on the surface. 

She distracts him with a string of encouragement and the realization that she doesn’t actually know his name, yet. He makes an undignified snort into her ear, the first true laugh she’s heard from him yet, and introduces himself as Corin Blackstone, of Castle Blackstone, heir to the tiny kingdom they’re currently fleeing.

Kira about drowns them both, at that one, choking and spluttering while he laughs above her, giggling helplessly while she flails about  _ kidnapping a prince _ . 

  
“I’m Kira, anyway. Just Kira. I haven’t earned any titles yet, but I’m  _ going _ to! I’m gonna be the one they're going to tell legends about next, just you watch.”


End file.
